Publication Date:
October 2007
Massachusetts
Governor Signs Pro-Union Bill
Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has signed a bill that allows government employees to organize through "card check" drives, rather than secret ballots. Union officials applauded the measure, which had been vetoed by Governor Mitt Romney (R) last year and denounced by some business leaders, who said workers would be intimidated into voting in favor of unionizing. Similar legislation in Congress is backed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D) and others, but has failed to gain Senate approval.
Source: The Boston Globe
Vermont
Governor Makes Case for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The arrest of two immigrant farm workers this week prompted Gov. Jim Douglas (R) to tell Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff about the need for comprehensive immigration reform to ensure that farms have enough labor. The Mexican workers were apprehended by Border Patrol the same day that Chertoff was in Vermont to promote a state plan for enhanced driver's licenses that would make it easier for people to cross the border.
Source: Associated Press
Mississippi
Economist Predicts Economic Slowdown
Slow economic growth in Mississippi is likely through December 2008 as Gulf Coast rebuilding post-Hurricane Katrina and sales tax collections taper off, state economist Phil Pepper told lawmakers last week. His forecasts, along with millions of dollars in agency budget deficits, will likely force lawmakers to recommend a conservative spending plan for fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1, 2008.
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
West Virginia
College Business Programs Flourish
Due in part to more curriculum input from business executives, area business schools are experiencing unprecedented growth. Two years after the University of Charleston revamped its Executive Master of Business Administration program, five times as many students are enrolled. In September 2005, there were 11 students in the program—now there are 54. Marshall University's EMBA program is experiencing similar growth, going from nine students four years ago to 15 students today.
Source: Charleston Daily Mail
Colorado
Survey Shows Voters Oppose Union Changes
State voters say they oppose legal changes to the way unions are formed, according to a poll commissioned by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. A full 70% of respondents said they would not support a change to a law that requires non-union workers to pay dues if they benefit from a union contract. Labor groups wanted to eliminate the need for a 75% majority to approve a contract that requires non-union members to pay dues for contract coverage.
Source: Rocky Mountain News
Michigan
Lawmakers Raise Business Taxes After Temporary Shutdown
Michigan's government resumed full operations four hours after a potentially embarrassing and economically damaging shutdown began. The House and Senate passed a flurry of bills in the hours before and after a midnight deadline, including a new 6% sales tax on business services. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce estimates that two-thirds of the $750 million in new sales tax revenue will apply to business transactions that are tax exempt in most states.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Oregon
Region's Timber Industry Declines
Oregon mill operators are faced with increasing mill closures and job losses amidst dropping demand for their product as U.S. home builders have put the brakes on new construction as timber supplies from local forests dry up. Sales of new homes dropped 8.3% in August from July, the Commerce Department reported, and the national housing slump is the worst in years. Once comprising nearly a third of Oregon's total timber harvest, eastern Oregon now makes up about 13% of the state's haul from the woods.
Source: The Oregonian
Utah
Governor Touts State Economy
Utah's economy is the hottest in the United States, and Utah County could be ground zero of a boom that will change the valley forever, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) and 20 other experts told business leaders last week. High job growth, low unemployment, a stable housing market, and the nation's youngest workforce are drawing national and international companies to Utah, speakers said during the annual Utah Valley Executive Summit sponsored by the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Deseret Morning News
